Branco Stoysin, the London based, Yugoslav jazz guitarist, has chosen the Audio-Technica AT4040 as his exclusive recording microphone.

LEEDS 01-12-2007
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Branco Stoysin, the London based, Yugoslav jazz guitarist, has chosen the Audio-Technica AT4040 as his exclusive recording microphone. The self taught jazz and folk virtuoso has long searched for a microphone whose signal response would truthfully capture the sound of his acoustic guitar.

“I have previously recorded with small condensers, but always thought that I needed something meatier for the guitar,” he says, “Something with all of the high end clarity, but that also reproduced the attack of my guitar. I have never been able to achieve this sound with any of the obvious big studio models. This sound remained only in my head, until I tried the AT4040.

“The AT4040 blew me away immediately I heard it. The performance at the price was truly a surprise. At under £300, it sounds like it should cost two thousand; I don’t know how Audio-Technica can produce a microphone of this quality at that price. A true condenser, it is a big mic with a really big sound. Smooth but with lots of attack, which reproduces all of the bite of my guitar sound. It also reproduces the low frequency response fantastically, capturing all of the low end transients. I auditioned so many large condenser microphones, and nothing else ever gave me such a complete sense of realism.”

Branco has been based in the UK since leaving his native town of Novi Sad in the early nineties. His influences range across a breadth of jazz, classical and world music, in particular Brazilian music, alongside his native folk heritage. As well as regularly appearing at venues across the UK and London jazz scene, he teaches the guitar at Goldsmith’s College.

He has released four acclaimed albums on his own Sun Recordings label since settling in the UK (available through JazzCDs - www.jazzcds.co.uk and distributed by Proper Distribution UK), mostly featuring his trio with six string contra bassist Leslee Booth and percussionist Buster Birch.

Branco is currently working on his next album, due for release later in the year, “We have recorded four songs so far, live with the trio. All the guitar has been recorded with the AT4040 and the improvement in the sound has been fantastic.”